Valve construction



May 11,1948.

G. H. WOLFE .v

VALVE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 7, 1943 IIIIIIIlIIIIIIII/Illl INVENTOR GEORGE H. WOLF E ms A ORNE y 1948- I G. H. WOLFE 2,441,524

VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 6 INVENTOR GEORGE H.WOLF E I115 ATTORN EY Patented May 11, 1948 VALVE CONSTRUCTION George H. Wolfe, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Dorothy E. MacKenzie,

Reno, Nev.

Application December 7, 1943, Serial No. 513,213

The main object of the invention is to provide a valve construction which is adapted to be operated so that it will supply either one of two difierent kinds of fuel or substances to a predetermined point for use.

A further object is to provide a valve construction which will permit the easy changing over from the supplying of one kind of fuel to a point for use, to another kind of fuel.

A further object is to provide a valve construction which can be operated to supply a predetermined apparatus, such as an internal combustion engine, with one type of fuel, or a second type of fuel, or a combination of the two types of fuel in a desired proportion.

A further object is to provide a. valve construction which will permit the supply of one type of fuel to an internal combustion engine and also permit the changing over to the supply of another type of fuel while the engine is in operation.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying draw- .ings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the valve construction made in accordance with the invention and showing parts of the valve housing broken away to disclose the interior of the structure;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the structure;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Y

Figure 5 is a partial sectional plan view of the valve structure showing the valve in a midway position'and where it would permit two types of fuel to be supplied to the intended source for use; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the face of a cam lift which is employed in the construction.

Although the valve construction of my invention is adaptable for use in connectionwith any apparatus where it is desired to supply difierent kinds of fuel or substances to a common source for use, itis particularly useful on a vehicle hav-. ing an internal combustion engine which supplies the motive power and which engine in addition to being operated by gasoline may be operated by producer gas generated and supplied by a gas producer apparatus installed on the vehicle. Such a motor vehicle is disclosed in the Riccardi Letters Patent No. 2,278,798 issued April '7, 1942. In describing the construction and operation of the present invention I will therefore assume that the valve construction is used in connection with apparatus such as is employed on a motor vehicle as described in the said Letters Patent.

As above pointed out, the internal combustion engine of a vehicle such as is disclosed in the above mentioned Letters Paten is designed to be operated either by gasoline or by a combustible gas generated by a gas producing apparatus carried on the vehicle. The gas generated in the gas producing apparatus is caused to be passed through a series of purifying and filtering devices and finally is fed to the engine as a properly proportioned gas-air mixture after it has been passed through a carbo-charger device. The gasoline mixture which also may operate the engine is fed to the engine through the usual type gasoline carbureter.

Referring to the drawings, the valve construc tion which I have designed to be used in connection with such an automotive vehicle to control the feeding of either the gasoline or the producer gas to the engine, comprises a conical shaped housing indicated at l. The said housing encloses a conical shaped valve structure which I have designated generally by the numeral 2. The valve structure comprises the end portions 3 and 4 and the center portion 5 extending between the said end portions.

The valve housing is intended to be installed on and to communicate with the induction manifold of the engine of the vehicle and to this end it is formed with an opening 6 having a flanged part 1 which is adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the induction manifold. The valve housing is also provided with an opening 8 formed with a flange 9. The gasoline carbureter for the engine of the vehicle is adapted to be secured to the flange 9 and so that said carbureter will be in communication with the valve housing. The valve housing is further provided with an unflanged neck opening H! to which a rubber hose carrying the producer gas mixture, generated by the gas producing apparatus, is secured, and so 3 that the said producer gas mixture will enter the said housing.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings the valve 52 mounted within the housing I, is shown in its I position when it functions to pass only the producer gas through the valve housing and thus through the opening communicating with the induction manifold. In Figure 2 the position of the valve when it is positioned so that only a gasoline mixture will pass to the induction manifold through the valve housing, is indicated in dotted lines. In Figure 5, the valve portion 5 is shown in the position it would be located when both th gasoline mixture and the producer gas mixture would be permitted to pass through the housing to the induction manifold.

The valve 2 is secured to a rotatable shaft H', which is mounted'so that it extends through the valve housing. A compression spring I2 is mounted on one end of the shaft I! and on the outside of the housing. The said spring is held under tension against the outer wall of the housing by means of a retainer means 13 and the nut i l. The spring functions to provide a tension to hold the shaft ii in such a position that the edges of the end portions 3 and l of the valve structure will be held tightly against the wall of the housing and so that when the portion 5 of the valve structure is positioned to form a passageway for the gasoline mixture, or the producer gas mixture, through the valve housing it will completely shut off the other fuel and. so that it cannot pass through the valve housing.

The other end of the rotatable shaft ll extends through the housing wall and has mounted thereon, outside of the housing wall, a cam lever i5. The cam lever is free to rotate on the shaft Si and at its upper free end it is formed with an enlarged portion I 6, to which is attached the operating rod 5?. The operating rod controls the movement of the cam l ver l5 and is installed such a manner that it can be manipulated from the dashboard of the vehicle. The lower end [8 of the cam lever encircles the shaft I and is provided on its lower'face with the rounded protruding button elements l9 and 20 which are adapted to contact and ride on inclines 2| and 22 formed on a cam lift element 23 formed on the exterior of the valve housing.

A cam yoke lever 2 is keyed to the end of the r snaft H, as shown most clearly in Figure l, and said cam yolze lever can turn only with the said shaft and with the valve structure secured to the shaft. The cam yoke'lever is provided with the fingers 25 and which are positioned so that they embrace the cam lever IE but are so spaced from the cam lever that said lever is permitted to have some movement therebetween (as indicated dotted lines in Figure 2) before contact is made with the fingers.

The exterior wall of the valve housing on which the cam lever l5 and the cam yoke lever 24 are positioned, is provided with two stop projections 27! and 28. The stop 2'! limits the movement of the cam lever when it is moved to position the valve within the valve housing so that its portion 5 will form a passageway for the introduction of the gasoline mixture through the valve housing to the opening communicating with the induction manifold. The stop 28 limits the movement of the cam lever when it is moved to position the portion 5 of the valve to form a passageway for the producer gas to the opening communication with the induction manifold.

From the above description of the construction of the valve assembly, the operation of the same will be readily apparent. When the cam lever I5 is first moved by the operating rod I! to position the valve 2 in :a desired position within the valve housing to provide a passageway for either the gasoline mixture or the producer gas mixture, the valve structure and the shaft II are caused to be moved axially against the tension of the spring l2 and thi causes the portions 3 and 4 of the valve structure to be moved axially away from the housing wall and so that they will become unfrozen from their tight fit against said wall and which was caused by the spring 12 pulling them into close fitting relation with the wall. This action of the shaft and the unfreezing movement of the valve structure occurs before the valve structure is turned in the housing and is caused by the projections on the lower portion of the cam lever being moved by the cam lever so that they will ride up the incline 2| and 22 formed on the cam lift 23. When the said projections ride up on'the incline provided on the cam lift they effect a drawing of the shaft l l and the valve structure to the left as will be clear by referring to Figure 4, and thus the valve structure will be released from its frozen position with respect to the valve housing. After this initial unfreezing of the valve it is free to be rotated within the housing and as the cam lever continues to move it comes in contact with either finger 25 or 26 of the cam yoke lever, depending upon which way the cam lever is swung, and said cam yoke lever which is keyed to the shaft ll, then causes the said shaft and also the valve structure to turn. The cam lever is then turned until it abuts against either stop 27 or 28 and then the portion 5 of the valve structure will be properly positioned within the valve housing to form a passageway for either the gasoline mixture or the producer gas mixture. At that point the tension spring 12 will again function to freeze the valve structure against the wall of the valve housing and so that it willprevent the passage of the other type of fuel to the induction manifold.

In Figure 5 there is shown the position the valve will assume when the cam lever is moved into a position Where the supply of both fuels will be permitted to pass to the induction manifold. It can readily be seen that when both types of fuels are permitted to be fed to said induction manifold the proportions of the volume of each fuel can be regulated by moving the valve portion 5 to one side or the other of the central position shown in Figure 5.

From the above description it will be seen that the valve construction of my invention provides a simple and efficient change-over valve means for regulating the feeding of either a gasoline mixture or a producer gas mixture to an internal combustion engine designed to be operated by both types of fuel. Furthermore, the valve can be readily operated from the dashboard of the vehicle by means of the rod l1 and a change from one fuel to the other can be accomplished while the engine of the vehicle is in operation.

In operation, with the valve attached to the induction manifold of an internal combustion engine, the said engine can be first operated on gasoline or some other easily volatilized or vaporized fuel that can be easily carbureted. The heat from the motor or exhaust when such a fuel is being used can then be used to vaporize a heavier hydrocarbon that could not be usable in a cold motor or which when cold could be gas for ture becomes elevated when the first fuel is being used and thus making the second fuel usable, the valve can then be operated to admit the new fuel mixture to the mOtOr after which the exhaust from the second fuel can thereafter be used to prepare the second fuel for easy and simplified carburetion.

While I have described the invention as applied to use in connection with an automotive vehicle which utilizes both gasoline and producer its motive power, it is obvious that said valve construction may likewise be used in many other situations where it is desired to feed different kinds of fuel, fluids or substances to a common source for use. I therefore do not want to be limited to the specific application of the valve construction as set forth in the above description.

What is claimed is:

A valve construction comprising a housing having two inlet openings and an outlet opening therein, a shaft extending through said housing and adapted to have a rotatable and axial movement with respect thereto, a valve means secured to said shaft and adapted to be positioned within the housing to form a passageway between either of said inlet openings to the outlet opening and at the same time to shut off the passageway from the other inlet opening .to the outlet opening, tension means associated with the valve shaft to normally maintain said shaft in position with respect to the housing so that the valve means will be held in airtight relation with the wall of the housing, a cam lever loosely mounted on said valve shaft at the exterior of the housing and cooperating with a cam lift formed on the exterior wall of the housing, means for operating said cam lever with respect to said cam lift and so that it will move the valve shaft axially against the action of said tension means and thereby move the valve means from its airtight relation with the housing wall, means fixed to the valve shaft and cooperating with the cam lever for effecting the rotation of the valve shaft and the valve means after said cam lever has been moved to release the valve means from its airtight relation with the valve housing, and means positioned on the exterior of the housing to limit the movement of the cam lever so that the valve means will be properly positioned within the housing to form a passageway between either one of the two inlet .openings to the outlet opening.

GEORGE H. WOLFE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

